Sermon Notes

THE GOSPEL OF MARK

MARK 4:1-20 // the SOWER AND THE SOILS

Mark 4:1-20

Again he began to teach beside the sea. And a very large crowd gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat in it on the sea, and the whole crowd was beside the sea on the land. And he was teaching them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them: “Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it. Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and immediately it sprang up, since it had no depth of soil. And when the sun rose, it was scorched, and since it had no root, it withered away. Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain. And other seeds fell into good soil and produced grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.” And he said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

And when he was alone, those around him with the twelve asked him about the parables. And he said to them, “To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables, so that “‘they may indeed see but not perceive, and may indeed hear but not understand, lest they should turn and be forgiven.’”

And he said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables? The sower sows the word. And these are the ones along the path, where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them. And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: the ones who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy. And they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away. And others are the ones sown among thorns. They are those who hear the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. But those that were sown on the good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.”

1. The Parable (v.1-9)


2. The Purpose of Parables (v.10-12)


3. The PARABLE EXPLAINED (v.13-20)

“And he was teaching them many things in parables…” v.2a

WHAT IS A PARABLE?

A parable is an earthly story with a spiritual meaning

Jesus was connecting what was happening around them to what was happening inside them

“He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” v.9

“A person who has ‘ears to hear but does NOT hear’ is unwilling to listen and heed such a message. This is a picture of stubborn rebellion.” Chuck Swindoll

“And when he was alone, those around him with the twelve asked him about the parables.” v.10

The Purpose of Parables (v.10-12)

And he said to them, “To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables, so that (quoting Isaiah 6:9,10) ‘they may indeed see but not perceive, and may indeed hear but not understand, lest they should turn and be forgiven.’” Mark 4:11-12

“This principle is paralleled in other areas of life. Physically, if we fail to exercise a muscle, we will one day lose its use. It is the same with our intellectual powers. If we fail to use them, there will come a time when we will not be able to summon their full power. God confronts us with his truth, but if we do not positively respond to it, we will eventually lose it. What a solemn reality for those who sit under the teaching of God’s Word week after week and do not respond to it.” R. Kent Hughes

The Parable Explained (v.13-20)

1. The Hard Heart

“And these are the ones along the path, where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them.” v. 15

2. The Shallow Heart

And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: the ones who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy. And they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away.” V.16-17

"Then there are many more, whose religion must be sustained by enthusiastic surroundings. They seem to have been baptized in boiling water; and unless the temperature around them is kept up to that point, they wither away... the religion that is born of mere excitement will die when the excitement is over." Charles Spurgeon

“Trials teach us what we are; they dig up the soil, and let us see what we are made of.” Charles Spurgeon

Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” John 16:33b (NLT)

3. The Divided Heart

“And others are the ones sown among thorns. They are those who hear the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.” v.18-19

"Then there are many more, whose religion must be sustained by enthusiastic surroundings. They seem to have been baptized in boiling water; and unless the temperature around them is kept up to that point, they wither away... the religion that is born of mere excitement will die when the excitement is over." Charles Spurgeon

“Trials teach us what we are; they dig up the soil, and let us see what we are made of.” Charles Spurgeon

Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” John 16:33b (NLT)

3. The Divided Heart

“And others are the ones sown among thorns. They are those who hear the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.” v.18-19

4. The Fruitful heart

“But those that were sown on the good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.” v.20